User Permissions and Two Factor Authentication

User permissions and two-factor authentication are crucial components of a solid security infrastructure. They help reduce the risk of malicious insider activity or accidental data breaches and ensure compliance with regulations.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires users to input credentials from two different categories in order to log into an account. This could be something the user is aware of (password, PIN code, security question) or something they own (one-time verification code sent to their phone or an authenticator app) or something that they possess (fingerprint facial, face, retinal scan).

Often, 2FA is a subset of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which is comprised of many more elements than two. MFA is usually a requirement in certain industries, for example healthcare (because of the strict HIPAA regulations) as well as e-commerce and banking. The COVID-19 virus pandemic has increased the importance of security for businesses that require two-factor authentication.

Enterprises are living organisms and their security infrastructures are continuously evolving. Users shift roles as do hardware capabilities and complex systems are now accessible to users. It is important to review your two-factor authentication strategy at scheduled intervals to ensure that it’s up to date premium diagnostics from cataract surgery with these changes. One way to do that is to use adaptive authentication, which is a kind of contextual authentication that will trigger policies based on how the login request is received. Duo provides a central administrator dashboard that allows you to easily set and monitor these types of policies.